Self-cleaning cooking apparatus of the catalytic type

ABSTRACT

Cooking apparatus having a self-cleaning oven of the catalytic type. The oven is characterized by the provision of structure within the oven for minimization of heavily soiled areas which render the catalytic cleaning process ineffective. The structure above referred to, also increases the period of effectiveness of the oven as a self-cleaning unit.

United States Patent Inventor Carl W. Tilus Mansfield, Ohio Appl. No. 790,087

Filed Jan. 9, 1969 Patented Jan. 19, 1971 Assignee Westinghouse Electric Corporation Pittsburgh, Pa. a corporation of Pennsylvania SELF-CLEANING COOKING APPARATUS OF THE CATALYTIC TYPE 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 126/19, 126/273 Int. Cl .1 A2lb 1/00 FieldofSearch 126/19,21,

'[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,796,060 6/1957 Binns 126/273 3,113,200 12/1963 l-lurko 126/19X 3,266,477 8/1966 Stiles t 126/19 3,302,000 1/1967 Sherman l26/19X 3,440,402 4/1969 Holtkamp 219/409X Primary ExaminerCharles J. Myhre Attorneys-F. l-l. Henson, E. C. Arenz and B. B. Sklar, Jr.

ABSTRACT: Cooking apparatus having a self-cleaning oven of the catalytic type. The oven is characterized by the provision of structure within the oven for minimization of heavily soiled areas which render the catalytic cleaning process ineffective. The structure above referred to, also increases the period of effectiveness of the oven as a self-cleaning unit.

yPATENIEB JAN 1 s m 8 I ll INVENTOR Carl W. TiluS BY v J AGENT SELF-CLEANING COOKING APPARATUS OF THE CATALYTIC TYPE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates, in general, to cooking apparatus, and more particularly, to self-cleaning ovens of the catalytic type.

It is well established, that for the catalyticcleaning process to be effective, there must be physical contact between the soils and the catalyst and there must also be an adequate supply of oxygen; Unfortunately, such requirements are not always met, particularly in an area of maximum soil, for example the bottom wall of a cooking oven, where puddling" occurs due to food spills or boilover.

Such puddling must be manually or mechanically cleaned. This is not desirable, since due to the relatively low durability of catalytic coatings, the useful life is appreciably shortened thereby. i p

' It has been noted that subjecting catalytic coatings to higher temperatures for longer periods of time causes the soil to become hard, with subsequent cracking which causes the catalytic coating to be pulled off.

Accordingly, the general object of this invention is toprovide a new and improved self-cleaning cooking apparatus of the catalytic type. i

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a self-cleaning oven of the catalytic type which has a longer effective life than prior constructions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a self-cleaning oven of the catalytic type wherein an area of maximum soil, for example, the bottom wall thereof, is substantially selfcleaning at normal cooking temperatures within the oven.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the above-cited objects are accomplished by the provisions, in a self-cleaning oven of the catalytic type, 'of a removable insert panel having apertures therein. The panel is supported in the oven intermediate the bottom wall thereof and the foodstuff being cooked. The advantages of the apertured insert are that it distributes the spillover soils such that extreme puddling is minimized. Furthermore, the insert can be removed for the purpose of sponging or wiping.

On one form of the invention, the lower heating element is disposed in an enclosure formed between the bottom wall and the insert. This arrangement produces higher than normal cooking temperatures in the enclosure during normal cooking, consequently, the foregoing referred to area is effectively cleaned through catalytic oxidation during normal cooking operations.

The insert in one form of the invention, is coated on both sides and the apertures are of such a size and are so arranged as .to be nonsymmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the insert. This allows the insert pan to be both turned over and turned around to thereby increase the distribution of the soils as well as increase the overall effective life of the herein contemplated self-cleaning oven construction. The apertures may be formed by an extrusion like process to form depending flanges which, as compared to punched apertures, provide an insert pan having a larger surface area.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when considered in view of the drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiment, forming a part hereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a range representing the invention;

.FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of an oven liner forming a part of the range illustrated in IF. FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a removable insert for the oven liner; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of an oven liner representing a modified formof the invention shown in FIGS. l-3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, especially FIG. 1, reference character 10 designates generally an electric range. It will be appreciated that while the present invention will be disclosed as applied to an electric range, it is compatible with other cooking apparatus, for example, gas ranges. The range 10 comprises a top 11 supported by a casing or outer shell 12. A plurality of conventional surface heating units 13 carried by the top 11 are adapted to be energized by means of switches (not shown) operated by control knobs 14, in the area of a back splasher panel 16. l

The casing or outer shell 12 comprises a front wall 17 and sidewalls 18, the former of which is provided with an opening 19 which is selectively closed by a door structure 21. Within the shell 12 there is supported, in a conventional manner, an oven liner 22 having an open front end 23 in registry with the opening 19. It

A heater structure 24, received in a receptacle (not shown) in a rear wall 26 of the liner22, constitutes one source of heat for the oven liner. The heater structure is energized through a suitable switch structure, not shown, by means of control knob 27 supported in the area of the splasher panel 16. A plurality of racks 28 (only one being shown) are supported in the oven liner 22 by a plurality of sidewardly projecting members 29 integral with the sidewalls 30 of the liner 22.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the removable insert panel 31 is supported within the oven liner 22, by brackets 32, in a position intermediate the particular rack 28 in use, and a bottom wall 33 of the liner 22, the bottom wall constituting an area of maximum soil concentrations. The panel 31 is provided with a plurality of apertures 34 arranged as shown in FIG. 3 (i.e. in rows alternately having even and odd numbers of apertures). In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, there are preferably an odd number of rows so that the panel including the apertures is substantially a symmetrical structure. Furthermore, the apertures preferably constitute one-half of the total area of the panel. It will be appreciated that the symmetry of the panel may be obtained by other arrangements without departing from the spirit of the invention. As viewed in FIG. 2, the sidewalls 30 and bottom wall 33 and a top wall 36 of the oven liner 22, as well as the insert panel 31 are provided with a catalytic coating 37 of the type shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,477, issued in the name of A. B. Stiles. In order to increase the total catalytic area, the apertures 34 are formed by an extruding method to provide depending flange areas 38.

While the heating structure 24 is shown as being disposed intermediate the panel 31 and the bottom wall 33, it could be satisfactorily disposed above the panel 31. The position shown is preferred because the panel 31 and bottom wall 33 cooperate to raise the temperature in the area of the heater to thereby render the bottom wall and panel substantially selfclean during normal cooking operations.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 4, a removable insert panel 39 is utilized, such panel distinguishing from the panel 31 in that it is provided with the catalytic coating 37 on both sides thereof and in that the flange areas 38 are omitted. Another distinction is in the arrangement of the apertures 34 to provide a nonsymmetrical panel. This is accomplished by providing alternate even and odd rows of apertures with a total number of rows which is equal to an even number. Such an arrangement allows the apertures in the panel 39 to be realigned with different areas of the bottom panel by simply turning the panel around. Furthermore, since the panel 39 is coated on both sides, it can be turned over if and when the opposite side becomes heavily soiled.

Since numerous changes may be made in the above described apparatus and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing descripterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

[clairnz 1. Cooking apparatus comprising:

means defining a cooking space, said means defining a cooking space including a bottom wall subject to receiving heavy soil;

means for heating said cooking space to provide normal cooking operations, and to also provide temperatures necessary for catalytic cleaning;

means in said cooking space for supporting foodstuffs to be cooked;

an insert panel in said cooking space disposed in the lower part of said cooking space between said bottom wall and the foodstuffs supported in said cooking space, said insert being provided with apertures for distributing said heavy soil;

said means defining said cooking space, and at least one side of said insert panel, having catalytic surfaces.

3. Structure as specified in claim 2 wherein, the apertures in said insert are of such a size and are so arranged as to constitute a nonsymmetrical structure which can be installed in one direction and then turned around to align the apertures with different portions of the bottom wall.

4. Structure as specified in claim 1, wherein, said apertures are downwardly flanged.

5. Structure as specified in claim 1 wherein, said insert panel is entirely coated with a catalytic surface or coating. 

2. Structure as specified in claim 1 wherein; said heating means is disposed intermediate said insert and said bottom wall so that said insert and said wall are heated to temperatures in excess of normal cooking temperatures to promote the catalytic cleaning of said insert and bottom wall during normal cooking operations.
 3. Structure as specified in claim 2 wherein, the apertures in said insert are of such a size and are so arranged as to constitute a nonsymmetrical structure which can be installed in one direction and then turned around to align the apertures with different portions of the bottom wall.
 4. Structure as specified in claim 1, wherein, said apertures are downwardly flanged.
 5. Structure as specified in claim 1 wherein, said insert panel is entirely coated with a catalytic surface or coating. 